What You Gave Me

"What You Gave Me" is a hit duet written and produced by Ashford & Simpson and issued as a single originally by the vocal duo of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1969 on the Tamla label.

"What You Gave Me"
Single by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
from the album Easy
B-side	"How You Gonna Keep It (After You Get It)"
Released	November 1969
Recorded	1968–1969, Hitsville USA
Genre	Soul
Length	2:38
Label	Tamla
Songwriter(s)	Ashford & Simpson
Producer(s)	Ashford & Simpson
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell singles chronology
"That's the Way Love Is" (1969) "What You Gave Me" (1969) "How Can I Forget/Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got" (1970)

"What You Gave Me"
Single by Diana Ross
from the album Ross
Released	1978
Genre	Soul, Disco
Label	Motown Records
Songwriter(s)	Ashford & Simpson
Producer(s)	Hal Davis
Diana Ross singles chronology
"Lovin', Livin' and Givin'" (1978) "What You Gave Me" (1978) "Ease On Down The Road" (1978)

Recorded in the final throes of the Gaye-Terrell duet recordings, the song became the second single from their album, Easy. As with much of the album, there is debate over who sang with Gaye: Terrell, who was undergoing treatment for brain cancer, or the track's co-writer and co-producer, Valerie Simpson.

While Gaye later insisted that Simpson stood in for Terrell, Simpson has maintained that Terrell took part in the recordings. Whatever the case, the song gave the duo a modest charting, peaking at number forty-nine pop and number six R&B.^[1]

Cash Box described it as a "finely honed vocal collaboration."^[2]

Chart history

Weekly charts Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Chart (1969-70) Peak position U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] 49 U.S. Billboard R&B 6 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 47 Diana Ross Chart (1978) Peak position U.S. Billboard R&B 86

Later versions

David Ruffin also recorded the song for his 1969 album Feelin' Good. It was revived years later as a club hit by Diana Ross in 1978. Her version peaked at #86 on the R&B charts.

Credits

• All vocals by Marvin Gaye & Valerie Simpson
• Produced by Ashford & Simpson
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers